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Aaron Rodgers Might Be Angling For Green Bay Exit

By Erik Lambert

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 18: Aaron Rodgers, quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, stands on the grid prior to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 60th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, 2018 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 18: Aaron Rodgers, quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, stands on the grid prior to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 60th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, 2018 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /
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DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 18: Aaron Rodgers, quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, stands on the grid prior to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 60th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, 2018 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 18: Aaron Rodgers, quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, stands on the grid prior to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 60th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, 2018 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /

How ironic would it be? Brett Favre never wanted to leave the Green Bay Packers but they rushed him out to make way for Aaron Rodgers.

Imagine the complete opposite happening in the near future with Rodgers spurning the team he built a Hall of Fame career with to look for new horizons elsewhere. It sounds unthinkable. In every situation, it’s always the team that has to usher out the player. It happened with Joe Montana. It happened with Peyton Manning and it happened with Favre. Could Rodgers end up being a bit of a trend-setter by flipping the script?

It seems like that possibility continues to grow. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network offered an update on the current contract situation between the two-time MVP and the Packers. Expectations are he’ll exceeding the dollars-per-year amount recently claimed by Matt Ryan in Atlanta. This is no surprise. The big shock came when it was revealed that Rodgers may be trying to gain greater control over his new deal in the form of an opt-out clause.

Rodgers’ growing frustrations with Green Bay driving desire to leave?

For those not fluent in contract talks, an opt-out clause means the player will have a chance to get out of their current deal early once a certain threshold has been reached. For example, Rodgers could sign a new five-year contract but with a clause to terminate it in Year 3 should that be his wish. There are different ways to do it, but the end game remains the same.

If Garafolo is right, then it appears Rodgers may want an exit strategy. It’s not hard to see why. He’s grown steadily more frustrated in Green Bay over the past couple years. Over the past three seasons, the team has had to rely solely on his talents to carry them to the playoffs each year. That reality came to a head when they missed the postseason for the first time since 2008 when he broke his collarbone early last year.

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It doesn’t feel like the team is getting better. The defense has regressed, forcing the team to can longtime coordinator Dom Capers. Head coach Mike McCarthy also fired a number of assistant coaches including ones Rodgers liked and respected. One can imagine he feels more isolated than ever before. He’s turning 35 in December. It may feel like he’s running out of time to win another Super Bowl. A chance to pick his new team for a fresh start has to sound appealing.

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